Kite-trolley.



C. J. THOMAS.

KlTE TROLLEY. APPLICATION man 001.211.1914.

1,21 1 ,896. Patented Jan. 9, 1917.

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r orrron CHARLES J. THOMAS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

KITE-TROLLEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1917.

' Application filed October 31, 1914. Serial N 0. 869,546.

vented certain new and useful. Improvements in Kite-Trolleys, of whlch the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improved means for conveying certain articles along the cord of a kite previously floated in the air, and causing them to fall toward the ground at a suitable distance from the point whence they are despatched. Reference is made here to such articles as a life-line, a message, a parcel of advertising matter, and the like.

The prime object of the invention is to provide a safe and reliable method of casting a life-line from a wrecked ship to a neighboring shore, or vice versa from the shore to the ship, so that in either case the purpose sought. of rescuing people from a perilous situation may be speedily accomplished.

A secondary object is the production of an economical and conveniently operated device wherewith information of appropriate character,commercial announcements for example,-may be swiftly carried to some desirable locality, and by repetition, widely disseminated.

Further objects will be perceived upon perusal of the detailed description of the invention hereinafter given.

"With the said objects in view, the invention consists of the peculiar construction, arrangement, and combination of parts herein specified, illustrated in their preferred embodiment in the annexed drawing, and

defined in the subjoined claims.

In the said drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of this improved ClGVlCB, shown in connection wlth an ordinary kite, the

string normally holding the latter being broken away; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the device, looking from the left-hand side of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a development of a frame forming part of the device.

In these views, the numeral 5 represents a kite of usual type, held fioating'in the air by a string or cord 6 of apposite length. Upon the string or cord 6 is placed a Wheeled carrier comprising a pair of sheaves 7, 8, mounted tandem thereon, and a frame designated as a whole by the reference numeral 9. These sheaves are conveniently made of light wood, while the frame may consist of sheet-metal, also of mediocre weight. As shown by the development, Fig. 3, the said frame 9 and the appurtenances thereof are preferably stamped out of the sheet metal in one piece, and so formed or designed that certain of the parts can be bent or folded relatively to others, at the several places indicated by the dotted lines in the-last named figure. The respective purposes of the various frame parts will presently be explained. The body ofthe said frame constitutes a parallelogram formed of two side members 11, 12 and two end members 18, 14. The membersll, 12, it will be seen are adapted to be turned up edgewise along the lines 15,16 where they join the members 13, 14- and the latter are likewise capable of being bent on central lines 17, 18, so as to assume a Vshaped transversely of the frame. From the outer edges of the side members, respectively, project two pairs of lugs 19, 20 having perforations 21, 22, arranged to come in alinement with each other, as the several said members are being turned or bent to their assigned positions. Thus constructed and shaped the frame is well adapted to receive' between its said side members 11, 12 the aforesaid sheaves 7, 8, whose axles 23, 24:,

have their hearings in the alined perforaspectively. The kite cord-6 is passed under these sheaves, so they will ride thereon, in a manner thatis well understood. It will be observed that they cannot jump off the kite-cord since the cross members 13 and 1a of the frame 9 act as retainers therefor, as well as the deep opposite flanges or cheeks of the sheaves themselves, between which the cord is normally confined laterally, as best seen in Fig. 2. The lugs 19, 20 also coact with the side members of the frame in keeping the sheaves from wabbling, and in maintaining alined.

Pendants 27, 28, are provided on the frame 9, the same being preferably formed integral with the sides thereof, somewhat in advance of the rear pair of lugs 20. As shown, these pendants are made to fold downward on the lines 29, 30, Fig. 3, in such a manner other in the planes of their respective side them properly members, 11 and 12. Each pendant hasa lateral projection 31, 32 extending out at right angles therefrom, as further repre sented in said figure. The projection 31 is located by preference, at the outer extremity of the pendant 27, and by bending it successively on the lines 33, 34, 35 it is brought over and around the corresponding extremity of the pendant 28, so as to constitute a tie for and between the said pendants. Analogously, the projection 32, which is placed a little higher up on the pendant 28, is bent on the lines 36, 37, 3S and caused to unite the side opposite preferably, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

To the lower end of the pair of pendants aforesaid is pivotally connected a bearer e1, intended to carry the life-line, missive, advertisement, or other object to be sent up the kite-cord. This element 41 is conveniently fashioned out of a single wire, doubled upon itself centrally to form an elongated loop 42, then twisted as at 13, and led out from this point on parallel lines to opposite perforations in the pendants, through which the ends of the wire are hooked, as at eat, as, midway between the ties formed by the above described projections 31 32, The bearer tl is thus hingedly connected with the pendants, but at the same time it is limited in its movements thereon by the said projections, which act as stops for the bearer as well as ties for the pendants. As seen in Fig. 1 the bearer may be swung upward on the pendants to a line approximately parallel with the frame 9, but it may not rise much higher, owing to the presence of the stop afforded by the tie or projection 32. If released, the bearer may drop down to a vertical position, as indicated by dotted lines 41 in Fig. l, and by full lines in Fig. 2. In the latter case, however, the tie or projection 31, will serve as a stop to prevent movement of the bearer farther backward. When used for carrying objects up the kitecord, the bearer 11 is held at its free end by a detent 48, connecting the latter with the forward part of the before described wheeled carrier. This detent also is conveniently made of wire, bent forwardly at A9 to form a hook adapted to engage the loop 42 of the bearer. Another bend of the wire detent 4 8 enables it to be brought up to a point near the frame 9, where its rear end is passed through hangers 51, 52, depending from the transverse end member 1a of the said frame, and still another bend 53 will prevent this end of the wire from being drawn out of the said hangers entirely, though the interval left between the bends 50 and 53 is sufficient to allow for the sliding of the detent back and forth so as to permit either engagement with or disengagement from the aforesaid loop of the bearer.

The numeral 55 represents a lifeline attached to a centrally-apertured disk 56, through which the bearer a1 is passed so as to keep itin suspension while being conveyed up the kite-cord; 57 designates a variant form of disk which may be used for advertising purposes. A number of such disks may be employed simultaneously, according to the length and capacity of the bearer to carry the several objects, as will be readily understood.

A sail 59, which may be a card or other suitable material, furnishes the power wherewith the wheeled carrier is propelled up the kite-cord, together with the said bearer and the object or objects thereto attached. A card is used by preference, when the device is utilized for the purpose of distributing advertisements. As shown, the sail or card 59 is made to rest at its lower edge within a depression 60, formed in the bearer 4:1, and to press against wings 61, (32 proj ected outwardly from the frame sides 11, 12. Like the other adjuncts of the frame, these wings are made integral therewith, and arranged to fold at right angles to the same on the lines 63, (a. A notch is cut out of the upper edge of the said card 59, cen' trally, to enable it to be positioned transversely of the bearer and with opposite portions evenly balanced on the sides of the carrier.

It will be noted that the axle of the rear sheave S is located a little above the frame 9, whereas the axle of the forward sheave is practically at the juncture of the paired lugs 19 with the sides of the said frame. This mode of construction has proven more satisfactory than in the case where the sheaves are mounted on a level line, because as may be inferred by looking at Fig. 1, the elevated sheave allows a little more play to the kitecord, which tends to accelerate the movement of the carrier thereon, due to the lashing effect developed by the swaying of the cord under the sheaves.

A stop 66 is placed on the cord 6, at the required distance from the kite 5, in a position to encounter and operate the aforesaid detent as, when the objects carried by the bearer A1 have reached the desired elevation. This stop may consist of a piece of cork, or other light material, placed up against a knot 67 on the cord. The said cork-stop is split along one side as at 68, so that it may straddle and cling to the cord. As the detent 18 is brought up against the stop (dot and dash line 66 the latter operates to detain the detent while the frame is carried forward through the action of the wind. In this way the detent is slid back as shown by the dot and dash lines 18* in Fig. 1, whereupon the loop 42 of the bearer 11 becomes disengaged from the hook 4:9 of the detent, the bearer is released, and the objects then on the latter are let fall upon the ground.

Having described my invention what I desire to secure by Letters Patent and claim 1s 1. A kite trolley comprising a carrier arranged to ride upon the kite-cord, an object bearer thereunder operatively mounted in substantial parallelism with both the carrier and cord, a flexible connection keeping said bearer permanently suspended by one end, and means releasably holding the other end of the bearer so that it may be dropped to discharge the object.

2. A kite-trolley comprising a carrier adapted for riding along the kite-cord, a rigid pendant under one end thereof, an object bearer pivotally connected by one end to said pendant, and a slidable detent holding the other end of said bearer.

3. A kite-trolley comprising a carrier adapted to ride on the kite-cord, an object bearer held suspended from said carrier in substantial parallelism therewith, and a sail detachably set between the carrier and said bearer.

4. A kite-trolley comprising a carrier riding upon the kite-cord, a bearer hingedly connected to said carrier at one end, a detent holding up said bearer by its other end, a sail resting upon the bearer intermediately thereof, and means on the carrier arrenged to maintain said sail in its operative position.

5. A kite-trolley comprising a carrier 1 adapted to ride upon the kite-cord, an object bearer operatively mounted in substantial parallelism with said carrier and pivotally connected thereto at one end, a detent holding the other end of said bearer releasably V suspended from the carrier, a sail transversely seated in a depression of the bearer, and projections on the carrier supporting said sail against the wind pressure.

6. A kite-trolley comprising a carrierv rier, an object bearer hinged between said pendants, a detent releasably holding the other end of said bearer from the carrier, and a stop extending between the pendants to limit the movement of the bearer.

8. A kite trolley comprising a carrier adapted for riding upon the kite-cord, said carrier consisting of a frame with sheaves mounted at difierent levels therein, retainers on said frame limiting the movement of said cord to and from either sheave, an object bearer suspended from the carrier, and means for releasing the object from said bearer.

Signed in the borough of Manhattan, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 17th day of October, A. D. 1914.

CHARLES J. THOMAS. I Witnesses:

' H. C. KARLsoN,

WV. H. GEE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 6.. 

